The One Armed Blader
by Team Tykai
Summary: A Russian abbey was destroyed by an unknown explosion and one boy walked away with a handicap no one ever fully accepts... but then he meets someone who does. [TyKa AU[3 of ]
1. Prologue: The Outsider

Disclaimer: We do not own these characters. Beyblade does not belong to us, and we're not making any money on this.

Ranma's Notes: An idea that's been on my mind for a while, waiting to be written!! A Beyblade AU!  
  
Glay's Notes:I liked Ranma's idea and plus this is a new Kai to work with. Hope you're interested!

**The One-Armed Blader**

Prologue 

The regional beyblade tournament was being held, and the competitors were all sorted into heats to determine qualification for the subsequent matches. If you had skill, you advanced. If you didn't, you were shunted aside and praised briefly for a 'good game' and a 'try again next year' from the officials. Each kid was supposed to let their beyblade rip into a huge dish along with another 7 or 8 kids, and hope that theirs was the last one spinning. 

Hope was not the best option. 

Not when one was beyblading against Kai Hiwatari. 

At 12 years old, Kai had first appeared in the tournament as a rookie nobody knew. He was an orphan from the local home, but many eyes were on him that day as he bladed among other 12 year-olds in the first rounds. Kai had won his heat, but did not advance on the second day of the regional. He was disqualified because of problems with documentation and the fact that he was not properly registered and attending a school regularly… 

Kai came back the following year. 

Enrolled in a school for people like him and with correct registration, the audience and MC's looked on as the now young teen faced off against blader after blader after blader… and won. 

Kai Hiwatari, 13 years old, won the Beyblade Regional Championship. 

With only his one arm. 

For 3 years in a row. 

**** 

The stares. 

He always got them whenever he walked into the stadium. 

All of his opponents, no matter how strong or weak, every last one of them, the first thing they saw was not his wild hair, or gangster clothing, or even the reserved look on his face- no, the first thing they saw was his arm. His one arm. They saw his handicap and they immediately thought that it was an easy win... 

The first time he had entered the competition there had been the laughs. What was a handicapped boy doing in a beyblade tournament? The game required two arms and two hands. How could someone pull the ripcord and hold the shooter with just one set of each? That was not the game… 

No, that was not the game. But he had decided to play it anyway. And he had won. 

The second time he had entered there had been the whispers. Hushed conversations as he wrote his name neatly on the registration form and handed it back to the person in charge. He pretended that he did not hear them, as always, words of ridicule and disbelief at his choices. Later, scorn was heard too, when he sent every single last store bought beyblade a proud parent had given to their kid flying out of the dish. 

He had won again that second time, and people stopped talking. 

But the one thing that was still there - the one thing he could not manage to deflect - Were the stares. 

Looks of sadness from women, mourning the loss of an arm that was not even their own. Looks of frustration from men, listening to whining children that could not seem to win against him. Looks of jealousy from his opponents… But mostly, pity was thrown into all of these people's eyes. 

'He wins these things because they feel sorry for him.' 

That was a damn lie. 

They didn't want him there. They didn't want someone handicapped to be their champion - it wasn't poster material. He wasn't accepted… even after all the training and practicing he had done in hopes that he would be… he wasn't accepted. 

He would never be. 

****

To be continued... 


	2. Episode 1: The Returning Champion

Disclaimer: We don't own Beyblade or these characters. We're not making any money off of this. 

Ranma's Notes: An ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. This is how we think it would go if Kai was the One-Armed Blader and he and Tyson actually got off on the right foot. None of the Bladebreakers have met; this is a different beginning and world!! This episode was originally over 26 pages long… but we've cut it to make the chapters smaller. ^_^ special thanks to FireKali who beta-ed this! 

Glay's Notes: Please don't hate us for how we portray the characters in this AU! ^_^;;;; We are basically trying to show the different types of human reaction to Kai's one arm through the others. 

**The One-Armed Blader**

Episode 1 

"The Returning Champion"

In the winter of 1990, a terrible explosion of unknown causes destroyed a compound named Balkov Abbey - the top Beyblading training facility in Moscow, Russia. 

What a strange, wonderful place it had been. High towers that stretched up, way up, into the sky and deep underground basements that lay buried down into the earth. Huge courtyards filled with beystadiums and cobblestone walks surrounding them. And inside, great auditoriums and gymnasiums built specifically for the sport. And yet, further down, extensive research laboratories and testing rooms for the newest developed technology. And even deeper still, odd cells and prisons that had been around for longer than anything above them… 

The fires had twisted and ravaged the buildings for hours before being put out, but in the end there was no use. Everything had been damaged beyond recall, along with the people who had been inside… 

There were no recorded survivors of the catastrophe, and no explanations for how it had happened. All that had occurred within those walls of stone was lost for eternity, and the dead carried their secrets to the grave. 

A few miles away from the burning abbey, a truck driver who had passed the complex found an unconscious, severely bleeding young boy in the back of his pickup. On closer inspection, the driver found that the boy's left arm was missing. The man brought the boy to a hospital, and from there, the boy healed… 

The doctors asked the boy for his name. 

He told them it was Kai. 

And ten years later… 

**** 

_He was running. _

_Always running, faster, always faster, never stopping. Across fields and grassy hills, he seemed to cover them in seconds, one kind of scenery blending flawlessly into the next. The wind was blowing into him from behind, caressing his hair and clothes, urging him to run even faster, pulling him towards his goal… and yet he could never seem to see it. But he knew it was there. _

_He was chasing something. _

_A shape gliding among the rolling clouds in the blue sky. He had to catch up to it before it disappeared completely, because it knew something **he** needed to know. 'It' was a creature. He had caught glimpses, just hints, of the beast when it passed from one wispy cloud into another. It was blue like the sky itself, and it moved like the wind, with the wind, and as if it **were** the wind in a physical form… It was alluring in the very nature of the word, drawing him to follow it to the ends of the earth. _

_And he would. _

_In some distant part of him, the part that was not under the desperate grasp to catch the mysterious creature, he knew what it was. It was the shape of a promise. But he just needed to know what promise it **was**… _

_His feet were barely touching the woodland floor as he darted through the maze of sandalwood trees and dried foliage. The wind picked up the leaves as he passed by, swirling the russet-coloured leaves into complicated designs in the air around him. Somehow, the wind carried them faster than he could run, and they took a path through the trees of the forest. _

_The creature was showing him the way. _

_He weaved through the trees that surrounded him, trying to escape the endless labyrinth. But no. There were more trees, never ending, frustrating him in his search to see the elusive blue beast. They were everywhere, blocking him, and just as he felt as if he could yell… _

_The continuous expanse of trees abruptly ended, and he came to stand at the edge of a clearing. _

_And there was the creature he had been chasing after. _

_It was a dragon. _

_It was like a part of heaven had descended to earth. _

_Its body was winding and coiling gracefully in the clearing. Its scales were translucent and shimmering along it's back. Long claws protruded from its forelegs and he looked into its face, expecting to see wise, timeless eyes staring back, but what he saw were… _

_Dark, deep youthful blue eyes pinning him in his place. Time seemed to stop as he looked into those eyes, eyes that were human and seemed mismatched on the dragon's scaly features – as if they belonged to something, **someone**, else. _

_The dragon bowed its head, then, and spoke. _

_"Hello, Kai."_

Auburn eyes snapped open in shock and the young teen sat up straight in his bed. His nightshirt was clinging to his body from a cold sweat and his heart was hammering in his chest. He was breathing deeply, staring at the wall, trying to remember what the dream had been about. 

Beside him, the flashing numbers of the clock radio in his private room at the special facility orphanage switched from reading 6:29am to 6:30 am. 

The clock began to blare loudly, the alarm having gone off. 

Kai raised his right hand, the one he had remaining, and carefully pressed the button to turn the clock off. The teen then slipped out of bed silently and glanced at the calendar tacked to the wall. The day's date was circled. 

"The championships…" Kai said under his breath as he exited the room, ignoring his reflection as he passed a mirror. 

**** 

It was the Regional Championships again in Japan. 

As always many young kids had come to participate, and the stands were filled and bustling with crowds of people waiting to watch the popular event. The first matches had already begun and would most likely finish quickly. The semi-finals were scheduled to start in about forty minutes. 

That was why Mr. Dickinson walked into one of the many waiting rooms situated in the stadium. There he found a Chinese teen with bound long black hair. He was sleeping. 

The old man sighed and poked the young man with his cane causing him to jolt awake. 

He yawned. "Oh, Mr. Dickinson." The Chinese blader rubbed his eyes. "Time for my match already?" 

"Just about." The manager's voice was creased with what sounded like worry. The blader wasn't going to like this. 

"Ah… Ray, I wanted to talk to you about the captaincy of the team." 

Suddenly, the Chinese youth named Ray perked up and he grinned, fangs glinting. "Finally adding it to my contract?" 

Mr. Dickinson seized up in anxiety at Ray's words. 

"No worries Mr. D, I'm all for it. I'm _confident_ that I'll be able to lead whoever you put on this team." 

"Oh, Ray..." The old man turned fretful and he swiped at his brow with a handkerchief. "You're ah... You're not the one I've chosen." 

Ray blanched in absolute shock that made him freeze. "_What?_" He gaped. "There must be some mistake – I… I thought we'd agreed." 

"Another candidate has been called to my attention…" The old man's voice was wavering. "As head of the BBA I had to take it into consideration and it's been decided." 

Ray's eye twitched and he gritted out, "Who is it?" 

"Now, please don't get upset, Ray…" 

"Who?" The Chinese blader asked icily. 

This wasn't what he had left home for! 

Ray Kon had traveled from his isolated village in China in search of bigger and better things. Trying to expand his horizons as a Beyblader, he'd met up with some scouts for the BBA. It was the largest Beyblading association in the world, Japanese in origin and ownership, and proved to be the perfect place for Ray to set up connections. In fact, Ray had _skill._ Mr. Dickinson, the head of the entire organization, took notice and assigned Ray to a special four-member team he and a few others had been collaborating on at the time. 

The plan was to choose the four top Beybladers at the Regional Champions of the present year. However, Ray wasn't a resident of Japan and under normal circumstances wouldn't have been able to participate. So, they immediately signed him to the team. 

Ray had explicitly stated that he was the best person to be captain of the BBA team. As the first active member he found himself taking on many responsibilities that he would have to teach the other three – whoever they'd be. BBA wanted a group of competitors that had not been registered in it's own training programs. The idea was to hone skills already learned independently rather than taking the extra time to teach and train fresh recruits. 

And the purpose of creating such a team? 

To get team BBA into the World Championships being held in Moscow, Russia – taking place in a few short months time. 

For the better part of the last decade, Russian and American teams had usurped the most prestigious Beyblading association in the world. 

And for the past four years running, Team China dominated the World Championships by placing first each and every time. 

Ray had been offered a spot on Team China, as a few of the children he grew up with had as well. He turned it down. He gave up the sure bet of captaincy of an excellent team. However, BBA's contract was hardly refutable, yet incredibly binding. 

All he had suggested was that he should be team captain. 

"Kai Hiwatari, Regional Champion for 3 straight years." 

Ray mouth became a thin line. His voice was grim. "_Hiwatari?_ …Don't tell me… No…" 

Mr. Dickinson flinched and replaced his handkerchief into his pocket. "He's a remarkable young man. And he's won more than his fair share of tournaments!" 

"He's the _One-Armed_ Blader! Isn't he?!" At Mr. Dickinson's nervous expression Ray stood up angrily. "HE IS!!" 

The Chinese teen crossed his arms tightly. "I'm sorry Mr. Dickinson, but I can't believe this! I'm the one who knows the protocols by heart! There's no _way_ I'm following orders from _him._ What were you thinking? _I've_ been on team BBA longer than that weirdo, and _I_ didn't win any of my battles because of pit-" 

"That's enough!" Mr. Dickinson said, his voice firm. "You're a fundamental part of this team, Ray, because you're a good blader and a responsible person. However, there's an image that we must uphold-" 

Ray choked. "What?! Image? Are you saying that a Chinese captain is worse than a kid with one arm!? Tell me, where's the sense it that, 'cause I don't see it!" 

Mr. Dickinson's voice was quiet. "… I find Kai to be the best choice for captaincy - one arm or not. Your nationality is not the issue here…" 

"Yeah right! Like I believe that!!" Ray took some short breaths, trying to get his anger to lessen. How could they? How _could_ they? Why didn't he see it before…? 

There was a long stretch a silence before the head of the BBA turned slightly and broke eye contact. 

"You want to head off to the arena now. Take a look at the match going on right now. It's for the other semi-finalists. You'll be blading a young man named Tyson Granger. He's shown amazing promise. I'm hoping he'll be on the team as well." He said softly, almost apologetically. 

"It'll be a piece of cake." The Chinese blader said in monotone as he walked out the door. 

In the empty hallway he clenched his fists tightly and his amber eyes narrowed to slits like a cat. 

"I can do it with one arm tied behind my back." 

**** 

Inside the arena the bladers still left in the competition were milling about and waiting for the next match to begin. This one would be a semi-finals qualifier. 

"What'd you say your name was again??" A short young teen with a red baseball cap, red jacket, yellow shirt, and blue shorts asked an even shorter kid who was standing in front of him holding a laptop. 

"It's _Kenny_, but people call me Chief." Kenny replied irritated. 

"Chief…Chief…" The taller teen scratched his head, his midnight coloured hair messing up at the movement. "I don't think I've ever heard of you!" 

"That's okay…" Kenny sighed. "But that isn't what I wanted to talk to you about." 

Suddenly one of the remaining bladers, a blond teen around fourteen years old, bounded over to the kid who was standing with his hands on his hips looking really happy while the shorter one holding his laptop beside him looked frazzled. 

"Hey!" The blond teen called out to the taller one. "You're Tyson, right?" 

The midnight blue haired boy turned to face the blond and smiled. 

"Tyson Granger, right?" The other asked. 

"Yep, that's my name, don't wear it out!" Tyson grinned and did a peace sign. "Don't tell me I've got _another_ fan!" 

The shorter bespectacled boy spoke up. "I _told_ you - I'm _not_ a fan!" 

"Suuuure." Tyson rolled his eyes then looked at the blond again. "Hey." 

"Hey! It's good to meet you, my friend!!" The cheerful blond exclaimed. "My name's Max Tate. I'm the winner of heat number 2 - I heard you won yours!" 

"Yeah! I'm in the semi-finals!" Tyson replied. "Man, Max I'm totally stoked about that!" 

"Yeah, me too! Do you know who you'll be blading against yet?" Max asked. 

"Nope, not yet." Tyson shrugged. "I'll find out in like half an hour though." 

"Oh! Yeah, about that…" The blond started. "See him?" Max pointed across the stadium towards a tall figure in the crowd. He stood out though, as other competitors were giving him a wide berth. 

Tyson squinted and tried to pinpoint whom the other blader was talking about. Giving up he just shrugged and replied. "Yeah?" 

Max's expression went sad for a brief instant and his eyebrows turned up as he stared out at the mystery blader. "Go easy on him." 

"Why?" The midnight haired boy questioned, feeling as though he was missing something. "Who're you talking about?" 

"They call him The One-Armed Blader." 

Kenny gasped. He recognized him from the program booklet. Whenever he researched there had never been much information on that blader. But that was Kai Hiwatari, the returning champion. 

Tyson finally registered the person Max was talking about and his eyes widened. That guy didn't look like someone whom you had to go easy on. Before he could say anything though, Max continued, his tone solemn and quiet. 

"You could end up blading him, and it's an unspoken rule here at the Regionals. Everyone goes easy on him because of his handicap." Max told them. 

"I can see why!" Kenny exclaimed. 

"Okay wait… that doesn't sound really fair." Tyson frowned, thinking that if it were _him_ he wouldn't want people to make him feel less than anyone else. 

The blond sighed, completely misinterpreting Tyson's point. "I know it's not. But it's the polite thing to do. If you have to beybattle him in the semi-finals, go easy." 

"Isn't the point of Beyblading to try your hardest though? How's anyone gonna really win if they don't go all out? So what if he has one arm?" Tyson asked raising an eyebrow. 

"Listen, you're a rookie here, yeah?" Max questioned patiently. Tyson nodded bemused. 

"I entered last year, and things don't really work the same way like they do if you're just blading for fun!" The blonde explained as he walked towards the sidelines. 

"I thought the point was to _have_ fun…" Tyson muttered his eyes only straying to the One-Armed Blader briefly before he followed Max into the sidelines to watch the next qualifying match, Kenny walking close behind him. 

**** 

This was Kai's fourth year at the Regional Championships. He was the returning champion and knew how things went. Yes, he knew how things went and how those things never seemed to change. 

So far, the kids that had appeared to challenge him were the same as last year's, and the year before that as well. Either young and scared, or older and tough, they all still held the same air about them. He could tell that none of them were _real_ beybladers. None of these kids fought with that _something_ that made a worthy opponent. 

He would win his heat easily. 

For the final qualifying heat of the Regionals, Kai was to go up against four other bladers. He stepped up the stairs that led to the dish they would be competing in. The crowds in the stands suddenly got much louder and the other kids already there began watching him nervously. As Kai walked, his scarf swished across his back and he became acutely aware of the sewn-up tank top sleeve of his missing left arm.

"_And there he is, it's The One-Armed Blader! Looks like the Returning Champion is back again and in this final heat!_" 

_"You're right, Brad! Kai is sixteen and has been the champion of this tournament for three years! Will he do it again this time?_" 

_"It's hard to say, A.J.! There are a lot of promising new bladers coming out of the woodworks, and it might be that The Blader has his work cut out for him!_" 

_"Well I for one, Brad, think this kid can do it single-handedly!! … No pun intended!_" 

Kai ignored the commentary. 

He lifted his left leg up and held it there, bent at the knee. There was a tight black strap around his left thigh and securely fastened to it was his shooter… small and rudimentary, the shooter wasn't anything special, but it was the only type that he could attach to the strap when he needed to, without any help. Still standing on his right leg, he got the ripcord from where it was looped loosely in his belt, and carefully fed it through the shooter. Kai then took his beyblade from his pocket and set it against the shooter, locking it onto place by pushing on it with his thumb. 

Hopping slightly, Kai repositioned himself so his left leg was aimed at the beystadium, just like his left arm would have been, if he had one. Kai hunched over and held the handle on the ripcord. 

From their places in the sidelines, Tyson, Max and Kenny were paying close attention to the match. Well Max and Kenny were, Tyson had only just perked up when Kenny told him he should be watching his potential opponent's blading styles. 

"What is that…?" Kenny questioned Max, stupefied by the strange sight – He had never actually been to the Regionals before. 

"That's how he blades." Max replied amiably. "I saw it last year, and it's still really weird to see." 

"This is absurd!" The Chief exclaimed and hastily typed away in his laptop. "He can't _possibly_ get enough power behind the rip at that height and with that beginner's shooter!" 

"What did you want again?" Tyson glanced down at Kenny. 

"Like I said before, I think you have a chance at winning this tournament…" The Chief's fingers flew across the keys. "I can help you out with upgrading your Dragoon blade if you want." 

"Woah really!? Hey -" 

"Shh!! I think the match is starting!!" Kenny said touchily. 

And sure enough, the five final bladers had gotten ready to try and advance to the semi-finals. DJ Jazzman took out his microphone and the crowd went up in cheers. 

"How does he do it?" Kenny adjusted his glasses and peered more closely. 

The One-Armed Blader didn't bother to look at his opponents. Instead he just kept his eyes down, and held his shooting position with almost perfect stability, waiting until DJ Jazzman counted down the rip. 

"3!" 

Kai's leg muscles tensed. 

"2!" 

His grip on the ripcord tightened. 

"1!" 

Kai bent his right knee and jumped, propelling himself into the air. 

"LET IT RIIIIIP!!!!!" 

"Grahh!" Kai yelled as he pulled the ripcord powerful, his Dranzer blade leaving the shooter and spiraling hectically into the beystadium. Kai twisted back and landed in a crouch his two feet planted squarely on the ground, steadying himself with his one arm. 

The blue beyblade whipped around the dish, the attacks from the other four not even phasing its power. The match was over before it even started – one after the other, each opposing blade was knocked out of the dish. 

"_And the winner is The One-Armed Blader! Kai!_" 

The other competitors blinked in shock and disappointment as they collected their blades. Three of them left the arena, but one kid was holding the remains of his shattered beyblade looking very sad. The kid looked up at Kai and he could see he was near tears. The returning champion took a small step back. He never meant to ruin the beyblade, but sometimes things got broken – sometimes things were lost. 

The One-Armed Blader quickly walked down the steps from the beystadium, because 'sorry' was still a very difficult word to say. 

"Did you see that!?" Kenny exclaimed from the sidelines. His laptop computer was pulling up all sorts of data, a small vid screen replaying the offensive attack. "His stats are off the charts! But it doesn't make sense – how could someone blading with _one_ arm get that kind of power?" Kenny questioned to himself and was surprised to hear a reply from beside him. 

"He must really love the game…" 

The bespectacled boy looked up and saw that Tyson was looking at the dish The One-Armed Blader had just won his heat at. 

Kenny felt slightly irritated at that. '_So **now** he's taking this seriously!_' The short teen thought, and adjusted his glasses. He had come to the regionals because he had heard Tyson, the best blader he had information on from Bay City, was going to be participating. He had wanted to get in touch with Tyson because according to his statistics and his bit beast Dragoon, Tyson had the potential to win. He had also heard of the returning champion with a disability and figured it would be a piece of cake. The big thing was, while researching through different Beyblade confidant websites he had managed to obtain information that it was rumored the winner of this year's tournament would go on the Beyblade World Championship's! Tyson could win this, and with Kenny's skills at modifying blades, perhaps he too could be a part of the Japanese team! 

The only problem was, Tyson was never standing still long enough for Kenny to properly talk to him about it. The Chief had settled on making sure Tyson focused on his opponents and really _did_ win this. 

With the new and slightly startling data about the returning champion scrolling on his laptop, Kenny noticed that Tyson was still staring at the dish. Before the match had begun Tyson hadn't shown much interest in the returning champion, but now… 

"Ah, Tyson…?" The Chief questioned. 

"Did you see??" Tyson suddenly looked down at him with a wide smile. "Did you see the look on his face when he was blading? He _really_ loves beyblade!" The smile changed into an almost giddy grin. "It'd be awesome to go up against someone with that much passion for it!" The baseball capped boy turned and looked at the large video screen in the stadium where the last match's outcome was currently posted with some small recap clips. 

"Kai." Tyson said, reading the name and matching it with the picture. "_Kai_." He said again, the single syllable rolling off his tongue pleasantly. Tyson's eyebrow's rose thoughtfully. "Yeah definitely, I gotta go up against him." 

Max spoke up from behind the two of them. "If you do, Tyson, remember what I said about going easy." 

"I don't think I'm gonna need to." Tyson responded with a sly look. 

Max looked surprised and a little worried, but before he could reply DJ Jazzman's voice boomed throughout the stadium, amplified by his microphone. 

"Aaand now!! The semi-finalist matches have been decided!" 

Max, Kenny and Tyson looked up. 

"The winners of heats 2 and 4! _Max_ versus _Kai_!!" DJ Jazzman proclaimed. "And blading next, the winners of heats 1 and 3! _Tyson_ versus _Ray_!!" 

Max grinned as he heard that and did a peace sign. "Guess we aren't up against each other, Tyson! But I'll see you there!" 

"Yeah!" Tyson grinned back then looked off in the direction the One-Armed Blader had disappeared to after winning his heat. The midnight haired teen's eyebrows angled down in determination. '_And_ _I'll see **you** in the finals, Kai._' 

**** 

End Episode 1 


	3. Episode 2: The Finalists

Disclaimer: We don't own Beyblade or these characters. We're not making any money off of this. 

Ranma's Notes: This is an Alternate Universe, so if the characters seem OOC then it's because different things have happened to them and they've joined Team Japan for different reasons. There are no 'Bladebreakers' in this story. 

Glay's Notes: Too Too long… great beybattles though ^-^ 

**The One-Armed Blader**

Episode 2 

"The Finalists" 

The crowd was restless for the half hour interlude before the semi-finals. More people began filtering in and filling up the previously empty seats in the nosebleed section. These were _the_ matches to watch. 

The semi-finals were always brutal. 

And vicious semi-finalists meant the finals were going to be nothing short than murderous. 

Watching two bladers tear at each other was a definite crowd pleaser. Too bad though, since for the past few years the finals had been lousy. The One-Armed Blader dominated in the final match and his opponent usually fell in the first round, unable to keep up for the second. It was a shame – how that handicapped boy had managed to turn such entertainment into something of a charity event. 

The minutes flew by slowly until finally… 

"Aaaaall right Beyblade fans! It's time to kick off the _semi-fiiiiiiiinals_ of the BBA Regional Championships!!!!" 

Roars of cheering erupted from the stadiums all around DJ Jazzman like bombs. As the official announcer for BBA blading events, he was used to it and at this particular championship, he'd seen it all. 

DJ Jazzman has seen cheating, fighting, and disqualifications for Beyblades that were somehow fitted to fly, swim, or deal out serious and dangerous results. 

But this year's competition was looking ever meaner. High prizes were at stake this time around, though it was supposed to be kept under wraps, a little bit of the truth had leaked out onto the Internet. 

The four semi-finalists competing in this tournament were going to be made into a national team. Team Japan. 

The exuberant man adjusted his hold on his microphone, searching for the right words to introduce the first two competitors that had made it this far. 

"Let's hear a big welcome for _RAY KON!!!!!"_

And then a figure walked out, his red bandana bright in the lights and long black hair shining enticingly. He walked strongly, smiling to show off his fangs when fans screamed his name and threw flowers onto the stage floor. The spotlights followed his path until he reached his place at the dish, and uncrossed his arms, clenching his fists at his sides. 

_"Ray here is one of the BBA's best bladers folks!" _

_"That's right, Brad, don't underestimate Ray because of his blade's weak defense! This kitty has claws that'll tear you apart before you can even say 'Meow-Mix!'" _

_"So true A.J. The fans can vouch for Ray, he's one mean dude when he's out to win. From the previous matches where his bit beast Driger took the stage, we can pretty much say the cat's in the bag!" _

_"Not so fast there Brad! Ray's competition may be a rookie to the Beyblade Tournament Circuit but he's one feisty little dude. Let's bring him out!" _

"Well here he is, folks!" DJ Jazzman belted out into the microphone causing Ray to narrow his eyes, a cocky smile appearing on his face. "Bay City's hometown competitor – TYYYSOOOOON GRAAAANGER!!!!!!!!!!" 

The spotlights trained themselves on the opposite gateway, also dark. Then, a boy wearing bright red, blue, and yellow appeared, his gloved hands in the air. He was waving and smiling so widely that the crowd went wild cheering for him too. 

Tyson jogged happily up to his spot at the beydish, absolutely amazed at how many people there were in the stands. 

"Woah man…" He breathed in awe, feeling the crowd's cheers and shouts rain down on him in a warm shower. He grinned, the excitement in him overflowing. There definitely hadn't been this many people for the qualifiers. 

_"And there he is, Brad, the rookie that made it into the finals!!" _

_"You're unusually observant today, A.J." _

_"Thanks Brad!! This kid may be new, but he packs a punch when it comes to power! Check out his stats, his bit beast Dragoon has been blowing the competition away with its Phantom Hurricane Attack!" _

_"I'll say, the dish these guys are gonna go at it in is the state of the art no-friction beydish. That means slippery spinning for Driger and Dragoon! This is gonna be one mondo cool match!" _

"Give it up for these two awesome Beybladers, fans!" DJ Jazzman shouted, waving his hand in the direction of Ray and Tyson. The audience's applauses were like thunder to Tyson's ears. 

The rookie looked at the dish he'd be beybattling in. It looked plain but it was going to be tough Beyblading on a terrain he'd never tried before. Tyson looked up and across the dish, where his opponent caught his eyes. 

Piercing and amber. 

They were almost cat-like – slanted in a decidedly Chinese way. Tyson blinked and the moment was lost. He shook all thoughts from his head, clearing his mind like his grandfather taught him to. His blue eyes looked up through his bangs again, and the sound around Tyson faded away to a dull drone. 

_'Concentrate…' _He thought. _'Don't let your opponent know your weaknesses…your fears…'_ He smiled, his grip tightening on Dragoon as he ran his ripcord through his launcher and set the attack beyblade on. 

Ray smiled back and Tyson noticed his slightly elongated canines. It wasn't a very friendly smile. 

_'This is going to be a piece of cake.'_ Ray thought to himself, staring down the Japanese rookie and not watching as he set up his ripcord. _'Take him down swiftly with the Tiger Claw technique and then…'_ He closed his eyes, and Driger clicked onto the launcher. 

_'I'll show the BBA and Japan just what I'm capable of in the finals.'_

"BLADERS!" DJ Jazzman's voice bounced off the stadiums large walls, making the crowd hush and the two competitors straighten up. "It's time to Beyblade!!" 

The bandana clad man jumped down his platform to his special countdown position. His hand shot forward, three fingers extended. 

"3!" 

"2!" 

"1!" 

"LET IT RIIIIIIIIIP!!!!!!!!" 

Tyson and Ray pulled their ripcords fiercely, their Beyblades flying out at high speeds towards the dish. 

Dragoon landed first, driving into the metal of the dish so hard that sparks flew up and out onto the stage. The dish's extremely low friction caused the slightly flat tip of the Beyblade to skid and slip. Dragoon weaved in a hectic pattern around the slick metal, fighting for purchase. 

Driger hit an instant after Dragoon. Almost immediately, the gray Beyblade sped to the middle, spinning effortlessly in the one place where gravity and the lack of needed friction could hinder its performance. 

Ray smirked. "Well, kid, looks like your time in the big leagues is going to be over _real_ soon." 

Tyson growled in the back of his throat in frustration. "We'll see about that! Dragoon!!" 

The white Beyblade became a blur as its speed boosted. However, the tip slipped resulting in Dragoon to become balanced precariously. The sound it created whined throughout the stage, sounding like thunder as it crashed into Rei's prone top. 

Driger batted the dragon blade away. 

In the stands, Max and Kenny looked at each other in awe. Driger was really powerful. 

"Can… Can Tyson win this one, Chief?" Max questioned, his eyes still glued to the match. 

Kenny frowned, his fingers clacking away at the keys on his laptop. "I don't have any data on this Ray. He's not in the BBA database!" His brow creased. "He must be a new addition, or…" 

The dumbfounded blond turned his head to look at his shorter companion in question. "Or…?" 

The Chief's frown intensified as he pulled up file after file, scouring for information on the other blader. "Or nothing. Tyson's done for." Kenny slapped his laptop shut and stood abruptly, making his way out of the aisle. 

"Hey!" Max floundered, his attention shifting between the match and Kenny's retreating form. "Where are you going?!" He yelled over the audience. 

"To get that rookie into the finals!" Kenny called over his shoulder, and then disappeared into the throng of fans. 

Ray yawned. "Is that it? I would have thought you may have had _something_ better than _that_ to get this far." He grinned, showing off his fangs and his amber eyes flashed. Suddenly his face was cold again. 

Tyson was sweating a little. This match was killing him. Ray's white tiger bit beast was tearing Dragoon's beyblade apart bit by bit. 

"Man…" Tyson muttered. "I don't think I can match this guy…he's strong. Real strong." He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, only the sounds of two Beyblades clashing finding the way to his ears. 

"Dragoon… my friend…" He opened his eyes with determination. _"DRAGOON!!" _

The dangerously weaving Beyblade seemed to heed his call and wind somehow began to erupt from nowhere. The wind spun in gales, growing larger and larger until the whole stadium seemed to be spinning along with Dragoon. The Beyblade circled the dish as if it were flying and did not need to touch the metal to move. 

Tyson watched with his dark blue eyes as Dragoon closed in, circling closer and closer… The wind was rushing all around him and making the collar of his jacket wave around sporadically. 

Ray's long bound hair whipped out behind him, but his serious expression did not falter. He did not even show a hint of acknowledgement that he was almost being blown away. 

It happened all in a split second. 

Tyson's long blue bangs had waved in front of his eyes, obscuring his vision for an instant before waving away again and he saw it. 

Big and beautiful and absolutely deadly. White fur with long dark green stripes all jagged over its large body. Gold armor and piercing eyes just like its master. 

"DRIGER!!" Ray's voice cut through the storm. "_Tiger Claw Attack!!!_" 

Driger smashed into Dragoon's wildly spinning Beyblade and the dragon blade was sent flying up the side of the dish riding the air before it landed on the floor. In pieces. 

"Dr-…Dragoon!" Tyson gasped, his eyes wide. He immediately salvaged Dragoon's bit piece and inspected it. He then picked up his Beyblade, speechless as he took in the scratch marks on the attack ring. 

"It looks like a _real_ tiger tore this apart…" He wavered. 

"VICTORY! VICTORY FOR RAY!" DJ Jazzman screamed out, making the crowd go wild. 

Tyson was just putting the pieces of his attack ring into his pocket when the short boy from before appeared at his side. "Tyson!" Kenny held his hand out and there was a shiny new attack ring on his palm. 

"C-Chief?" He asked in awe. 

"Do it, Tyson! It's my latest prototype! I call it Dragoon Storm!" 

The rookie took the plastic ring from the shorter boy and then smiled a smile that was brighter the stadium lights. "Thanks Chief!!" 

"Time for Roooooound TWO!!!!" The DJ standing on top of the speakers called and Tyson was immediately set and holding his beyblade in the launch position. 

Ray smiled and lifted his arms as well. 

"Here we gooooo!!!!! 3!…2!…1! LET IT RIP!!!!!" 

Tyson's rip was ferocious and Dragoon and Driger smashed together again, but this time, the storm raged on. The dragon beyblade's left spin carved into Driger's right one, and together they fell to the slippery dish below. 

A large cloud of dust was kicked up; the two bladers left standing at their respective platforms waiting to see the outcome. 

Brad Best's voice was the one that called it. 

_"DRAGOON STORM'S STILL SPINNING!" _Screams and cheers erupted from the audience. 

"That was an amazingly short battle." Ray said honestly, after staring at his immobile blade at the bottom of the dish. He jumped down and retrieved the two blades and then jumped back out next to Tyson's platform. 

"You beat me fair and square Tyson. So…" He laid Dragoon into the midnight haired teen's palm, a smile lifting the corners of his lips. "Take Dragoon into the Finals and do as much damage as you possibly can!" 

"Thanks!" Tyson cheered holding his blade close. His smile changed in his sudden confusion. "Wait, we're tied. The winner of the next match is going to the Finals!" 

"Nope." Ray said, twisting on his heel and began to walk away. He looked over his shoulder slightly bemused. "You earned this one kid. Just do me a favour and win." 

Tyson blinked slowly. "O…kay." He smiled at Ray's retreating back. "Hey! Just where are you going anyway!?" 

But the Chinese youth didn't answer as he walked through the gate. He just waved a hand in dismissal, not even looking back. 

In the darkened hallway, Ray turned a corner a smile on his lips. 

_"Whoa-ho-HO! I don't believe it! I don't believe it! Tyson wins!! Ray forfeited!! Looks like this Rookie is going to the finals!!!!!" _

****  
  


"So, Ray," A jovial old voice said, startling him. Mr. Dickinson was holding his cane happily. "My old age must be taking my hearing away from me. I was told you forfeited!"

"You heard right, I guess." Ray said a bit sourly, still severely angered at the old man's decision. "I'm not captain anyway, so it wouldn't matter if I did win, would it?" 

Mr. Dickinson's expression turned weary. "Ray…" 

"I have nothing to prove." Ray stated simply. "But _you_ do." 

Shocked, the head of the BBA took a step back. "I beg your pardon?" 

Ray crossed his arms. "Perhaps I didn't make myself clear earlier, Mr. Dickinson. I'll stay on this team – it's not like I have a choice – but Captain One-Armed Blader there? As far as I'm concerned, the winner of the Finals should become Captain." 

"Ah…" The old man sighed. "So, your money's on Tyson. Remarkable boy, isn't he?" 

"He beat me all by himself." Ray nodded. "Make him Captain, and everything will be sunshine and rainbows again." 

"I…" 

Ray looked at him, imploring him, and there was an awkward silence before the Chinese blader brushed past the old man, disappearing behind another corner. 

"Oh, if you only knew why I didn't, Ray…" Mr. Dickinson's grip tightened on his cane. "You'd know that the team needs this so much more … That _Kai_ needs this so much more." 

**** 

Kai and Max had already gone through round one, and it had finished very quickly with the returning champion as the winner. The dish was a hard one to tackle, being that you had to get your blade up a nearly vertical slope then have it spin in the precarious smaller dish at the top tower for ten seconds. And in ten seconds it had been over, since Kai's rip jump had allowed his Dranzer beyblade to land directly into the top dish and spin for the amount of time needed, even before Max had managed to get his Draciel up the steep slope. 

_'I could win this if I switched the ripcord around… with left spin I could use Kai's own energy to stop his beyblade if he decides to smash me outta the tower…_' Max was holding his shooter and ripcord, studying them and the dish. He could win this round for sure… but he knew that he shouldn't. It wasn't fair to blade against someone who was handicapped. 

Max switched his ripcord back to the right way. 

_"Y'know Brad, Max is one of those bladers that can figure out new ways to make the win! He could just come back from that early round one defeat!_" 

_"You're right Topster, with his wicked Draciel bitbeast, Max has got a defense to be reckoned with!!_" 

_"Don't forget Kai's bit beast though – his Dranzer is something of a mystery here at the regionals! In all these four years he hasn't **once** unleashed it!! But this kid doesn't have to with his 'hit 'em hard, hit 'em high' technique!_" 

"Warriors!!! Get reeeeeeeeeady!" DJ Jazzman shouted, the start buzzer signaling the second round about to begin. Coloured lasers jetted across the high ceiling of the stadium. 

Kai looked up from his beyblading position and his auburn eyes bore into Max. The blond blinked at the look but got ready. 

"3! 2! 1! LET IT RIP!!!" DJ Jazzman called out, and the two bladers pulled their ripcords sending their beyblades into the dish for the second round. 

"Go to the tower, Dranzer." Kai stated, and even though the command wasn't shouted, the blue beyblade surged up the slope with such power it was amazing to see. 

"C'mon go for it, Draciel!!" Max hollered out, and the green blade headed up the slope as well, gaining on the other. Kai's blade crashed into Draciel's nearly knocking it away on the dangerous angle. 

**** 

"How does he do it!?" Kenny questioned to himself, his fingers eternally flying over the keys of his laptop on the sidelines of the arena. "How can a handicap do this…?" The Chief muttered quietly. 

"Hey Kenny, they both got a good chance of winning! Aw man this is great!" The rookie exclaimed from beside the bespectacled teen. 

Kenny continued typing away. "It can't be all of his bitbeast's power…!" 

"Goooo Max!" Tyson pumped a fist in the air, but the blond did not seem to have heard him because of the rest of the noise from the crowd. Shrugging, he cupped his hands around his mouth, his midnight coloured bangs flying as he leaned forward with a huge smile and yelled a cheer again. 

"GO KAI!!" 

And through the air the words were carried to the one they were meant for. The One-Armed Blader's head snapped up and his eyes widened, searching the crowd. Unable to pinpoint the source of the mysterious cheer, the returning champion told Dranzer to attack the Draciel beyblade again. 

_'A hallucination_…' Kai thought to himself, trying to focus on winning his match. '_You only dream of being cheered on…'_

"C'mon KAI!" 

Kai's eyes darted to the left almost in disbelief at what he had surely heard from that direction. And then he saw him. He saw him at the sidelines. He was standing beside the short teen holding the computer that had helped to fix his beyblade. He was tanned, with dark midnight coloured hair and bright clothing… '_The winner of the other semi-final…_' Kai's mind reeled for the name of the boy. '_Tyson.'_

**** 

_'C'mon Draciel… don't give that much power! You know it's unfair!_' Max thought, watching as Kai's blade veered off course, the owner being distracted by something. 

"GO MAX!!" 

Max smiled happily at Tyson's enthusiastic cheering. '_Even if it's not a real beybattle, Tyson still acts like it!' _ The blonde thought, thankful of his new friend's antics even if the rookie didn't realize that you had to be fair and go easy on The One-Armed Blader. 

Said blader seemed to have suddenly snapped himself out of whatever kind of hindered state he had been in, and Max jerked back. '_Here it comes…_' The blond thought, bracing himself. 

"Dranzer." Kai said calmly. 

And it was over. 

The blue blade smashed into the green one sending Draciel out of the beystadium. It then spiraled up the steep tower and landed in the smaller dish, spinning powerfully to complete the match, showing without a doubt the winner. 

_"_And the winner is KAI!!! KAI HAS DONE IT AGAIN! The One-Armed Blader entering the finals for the fourth time!!!!" DJ Jazzman called out on his microphone. 

The crowds cheered, as they always did, and the returning champion followed the routine that was expected. Kai walked down the steps that had led to the beystadium and was going to leave when the blond he had fought against stopped him. 

"You did really well, Kai." Max told the other blader. "Too bad we couldn't beyblade for real! That woulda been awesome!" 

A strange look crossed Kai's face. "'For real'?" He asked quietly. 

"Um, yeah… beyblading properly, I meant." Max replied, trying to explain himself. 

"You let me win." Kai stated calmly and stared down the blond, his expression not giving any hint of what he was feeling away. 

"Well I-" 

Without staying to hear the rest of Max's sentence, the One-armed blader turned and immediately walked down from the beystadium, heading through the tunnel leading to the locker room. 

Max stood gaping at where Kai had quickly left. He thought he had seen some anger in those eyes. 

"Hey Max!!! Hey!!!" Tyson's loud voiced called out and Max turned around to see Tyson and Kenny waving at him from the sidelines. He made his way over, trying to push the unnerving stare that the returning regional champion had shot him out of his mind. 

"Hey guys." Max smiled and clapped a hand on Tyson's shoulder. "Looks like it's you and Kai in the finals!!" 

The midnight haired teen grinned and made a fist. "Yeah this is gonna be great." Tyson put his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow at Max. "I saw Kai disappear though, do you know where he went?" 

"Um," Max put his hands into the pockets of his orange overalls. "He went through the tunnel, so he's probably in the locker room." Max said and then spotted his father in the crowd on the other side of the arena. "Woah! Hey my dad's here guys, I'll talk to ya later!!" The blond gave the two other guys a short wave and jogged over to where his dad was. 

"Thanks Max! BYE!!" Tyson smiled widely and waved after the other blader. Kenny became slightly alarmed. 

"Tyson what are you going to _do_?" The Chief questioned. 

"I'm gonna go talk to him." Tyson started walking to the locker room. 

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Tyson." Kenny adjusted his glasses. "I may not have much data on him, but from what I've heard The One-Armed Blader isn't the sort of guy you should be talking to." 

"What do you mean, Chief?" Tyson furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. 

"What I'm saying is that he's not safe to be around…" The bespectacled boy's voice became hushed. "He's been in a lot of foster homes and at the orphanage – I've heard that he needs to be psychoanalyzed!" 

"Oh c'mon Kenny! Kai doesn't need some shrink or anything, I think you're making that up. He just needs a friend." Tyson rolled his eyes and started for the locker rooms again. 

"Tyson, The One-Armed Blader doesn't _want_ friends!" The Chief grabbed the sleeve of the semi-finalist's jacket, trying to prevent him from talking with Kai. 

The midnight haired teen stopped and looked at Kenny. "How do you know that? You ever ask him??" Tyson questioned, annoyed. He tugged his jacket out of Kenny's grip. 

"He's a gangster that goes to a reform school, Tyson!" The Chief implored. "Look, there's a rumour that he scares the finalists that are supposed to go against him for the championship making them loose it before the match. That's how he manages to win with only one arm. Going to talk with him right now isn't a good idea!" 

"Chief." Tyson said. "I don't like it when people judge others before they get to know them – and I don't think you've really gotten to know him." Tyson replied, but not unkindly. Kenny looked slightly abashed. 

"I just wanna talk to him." Tyson smiled and waved his hands to placate the shorter teen then he grinned and bolted away down the hallway calling over his shoulder. "I don't think he'll hurt me!" 

"Aah…" Kenny started to sweat and looked worriedly after the rookie. "I hope he knows what he's doing…" 

**** 

"I hate it…" Kai muttered to himself. He was in the locker room, his foot braced against the bench that ran along the floor from wall to wall. "They always go easy on me." His voice was barely a whisper as he fixed the Velcro on his right sneaker. 

"Then why do you come to the tournaments? If you're not having fun, then what's the point??" A boyish voice questioned. 

Kai stopped his movements. He hadn't known anyone was there. He looked over his shoulder slightly and his eyes briefly met the speaker's before Kai quickly looked away. 

"Tyson." Kai stated, staring at his shoes. "Winner of the semi-finals." 

"Yep, that's me!" Tyson confirmed brightly, stepping through the doorway of the locker room. "And you're Kai." He continued. 

Kai's shoulders hunched slightly, and Tyson's eyes were briefly drawn to the stitched up left sleeve of the returning champion's black muscle shirt. The duel-haired teen's comment was barely audible. "I thought you would have known me as The One-Armed Blader…" 

Tyson raised his eyebrows thoughtfully, although the other teen could not see it. Walking around the bench, Tyson took a seat next to the other teen. Not too close, in case Kai didn't want to be near him, but enough so that Tyson was sure he seemed friendly. 

He smiled when Kai looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "I just heard people calling you that today." The midnight haired boy replied. 

Kai frowned to himself. What was this blader trying to do? Make _friends?_

"No offence, but," Tyson leaned closer, and Kai immediately tensed. Great. He was going to get one. A comment. If it wasn't the stares then it was those passing comments that hinted exactly where Kai belonged – and it wasn't in the stadium. 

"I think I like _Kai_ better." 

Stunned, Kai's hand paused over his shoe, blinking as if he didn't believe what he heard. 

"What?" He asked resignedly. Turning his head, the One-Armed Blader was faced with a mega-watt smile, one that seemed pure and blew him away. 

"Kai, you're the three time regional champion! You must really love beyblade!!" Tyson grinned, looking generally interested in having a further conversation with Kai. 

The returning champion was silent for a while, and Tyson thought he wasn't going to reply when suddenly he spoke softly – almost too soft for Tyson to hear. 

"Beyblade… is all I have left…" Kai answered quietly, not meeting Tyson's eyes, and adjusted the Velcro strap on his other shoe. 

Tyson froze, his eyes widening and he swallowed at a sudden lump in his throat. The tone of the other blader's voice… it was so… it was like Kai actually believed that he had nothing but beyblading. The sound of Kai's voice broke his heart. 

_'Beyblade is all he has?'_ Tyson thought to himself. Was that a confession? Was this stranger trying to tell him something? Tyson watched intently as the older boy finished straightening up. Kenny's words from before came back to him and Tyson suddenly wondered how this quiet beyblader could have been threatening his opponents before the finals. He looked too sad… 

_'How can you be sad if you've won this tournament so much? What're you missing?' _The midnight haired teen wondered and then his eyebrows angled down in determination. '_You'll have something more than Beyblade, Kai. I'll make sure of it! I'm gonna be your friend - no matter what **anybody** says - once this tournament is over, I'm gonna search you out and we're gonna be friends. And, I don't think it would be so bad…_' 

The One-Armed Blader finished with what he had been doing and began to make his way out of the locker room. 

"Kai!" Tyson called out. 

Kai stopped walking, and the midnight haired teen took it as a sign to continue. 

"Hey, it's you and me in the finals…" Tyson said, and Kai looked around with a strange expression. Tyson grinned charmingly then, and Kai stared with confusion and some panic as the younger teen came over and looked up at the returning champion. "Don't go easy on me, okay?" Tyson asked. "'Cause I'm _not_ gonna go easy on you." 

Kai backed away from the smaller teen in reflex, knowing that standing so close to a handicap was not something many other kids were comfortable with. But then his eyes widened when Tyson just stepped closer, a big smile still on his face. 

"Hey, you promise right?" The younger blader questioned keenly, his big deep blue eyes looking straight into Kai's auburn ones. 

And for a split second, the One-Armed Blader was struck with a sense of familiarity. It was soon lost, however, and the duel-haired teen stepped away again. 

"I don't make promises." Kai said, giving the younger boy another odd look, and then turned, walking towards the exit door. Before he left though, he hesitated before glancing over his shoulder and saying one more thing. "Happy belated birthday Tyson Granger, age 14, winner of heat number 1." At Tyson's open-mouthed stare, he continued, almost entertained by the look on the shorter teen's face. "If you wanted to know about me, then you could have just read the program booklet." Kai pointed with his hand at the bench in the middle of the room. 

"Hm?" Tyson raised his eyebrows and looked behind him to see where Kai was pointing. "Program booklet…?" He spotted a thin magazine resting on the bench, "That thing?" Tyson asked, and turned back to look at the doorway. 

But Kai was gone. 

Tyson's eyes widened and he ran to the doorway quickly looking left and right, but only seeing an empty hallway. The midnight haired teen leaned against the doorframe and fiddled with a button on his jacket. His voice was coloured with awe and wonderment. "He's so… mysterious..." 

**** 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls – Let's get ready to ruuuuummbllleee!!!!!" 

Immediately shrieks of delight and yells of praise filled the stadium. The lights shut off, submerging the giant arena in darkness. Screams of excitement rained down and DJ Jazzman couldn't help but grin. This was gonna be some show. 

Neon-coloured lasers shot from the railed ceiling and danced across the beydish and stage in intricate patterns. The spotlights snapped on and they whirled around, illuminating parts of the crowd, making people cheer loudly and jump up and down in their seats. 

The spotlights then suddenly pointed to the gateway to the hall where the competitors entered the battle arena. The entrance was black, and all the bright lights were focused on that one point. 

"Beyblade fans… the moment you've been waiting for…" DJ Jazzman's voice echoed through the stadium and the audience quieted. Suddenly, loud music burst forth from the giant speakers Jazzy was standing on and his voice reverberated through the entire stadium.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!! GIVE IT UP!!! Give it up for the three-time champion of the Japanese Regional Championships – The one you all know as the One-Armed Blader – The one, the onlyyyyyyyy Kai!!! Hiwatari! KAI! HIWATARI!!" 

A buzz filled the air, the same buzz that had for the past three years in the same air of the same stadium. Kai Hiwatari, the One-Armed Blader, stepped through the tunnel and into the spotlights. 

"Aaaaand!!! Facing him – The rookie challenger – a regular upstart school kid from our very own Bay City!! GIVE IT UP FOR TYSOOOOOOON GRAAAAANGER!!!!!!" 

Tyson bounded out of the opposite tunnel and was again, startled by the enormous amount of people and lights all around him. He didn't let it faze him though he was just so excited. And Kai… He was standing at the platform, his face set in grim determination. 

"MEN! Load your beyblades!!!" 

Without breaking a gaze of auburn and smoky blue that had somehow been formed, Tyson and Kai loaded their blades onto their launchers. Kai took longer, but there was no grimace of impatience on the rookie's face that Kai usually saw. It made him feel… different. Strange. 

But the sensation was washed away into a stony concentration as loud grating sounds crashed from all around the platform. Four cage walls slid up around them, locking them together in what would be the finals of this beyblade championship game. 

They held their positions, awaiting DJ Jazzman's call to begin the rip. They were staring each other down, curious blue eyes locking with mystifying auburn. Kai was perfectly still, his expression giving nothing away. 

Everything about him was unreadable. Tyson had found that out when he taken a look at the information booklet back in the locker room. The pages hadn't told him anything about Kai – they only seemed to talk about a boy who bladed with only one arm and his legs to help him. Tyson wasn't about to judge a book by its cover. 

"Aaaaaaaaaall right Beyblade fans!!! Are you ready!?" DJ Jazzman's charismatic voice echoed through the arena. 

The fans answered him, cheering louder than for any of the other matched played the whole day. 

"Are you sure?!!"The DJ winked, spinning around to the amazing lights and hot music pumping through the speaker he was standing on top of. 

Girls started to scream. 

"Oooooo-K!!!! Because HERE! WE! GOOOO!!!" DJ Jazzman's voice shook the stadium as he began the count. 

"3!" 

The lights on the scoring counted blinked on. 

"2!" 

The two bladers tightened their grips on the ripcords, and Kai's leg muscles tensed. 

"1! LET IT RI-IIIP!!" 

Kai jumped up and pulled the ripcord with his one arm, swinging his leg to aim the launch, his Dranzer blade landing in the dish immediately followed by a surging Dragoon beyblade. 

The two blades clashed together and sparks flew in every direction, fizzling out when they hit the cool material of the dish. 

"DRAGOON!" Tyson shouted out, wasting no time. "Phantom Hurricane!!" 

Kai had landed on his toes and the force of the attack rocked him backwards. The duel-haired teen took a few steps away from the beystadium to right his balance, only to be assaulted with fierce winds snatching his blade and making it whirl up into the air. 

_'It's powerful…!_' The one-armed blader thought before he was lifted off his feet by the gales of wind rushing at his beyblade, and him as well. 

Kai flew backwards to the chain links of the cage, creating a horrible rattling noise as he smashed into it and slid down. Roars of outrage suddenly came from the stands. No more pain should come to one with the absence of a complete life. 

_"I-I don't believe it!! Tyson has won the first round of this year's finals, Brad!! And so **quickly** too!_" 

_"You're right Topster! …I don't believe it either!_" 

Tyson gaped and put his hands on his hips. "That was easy…" 

Kai's thick bangs covered his face, as he lay there, propped up in a sitting position against the side of the cage staring at the floor. 

"So, are you just gonna lie there, Kai?" Tyson's voice was warm and teasing as it cut through the thunderous shouts of the audience. "C'mon, get up and show me what you've really got." 

_'…"Show me what you've really got."_ _he says…'_ Kai thought. He continued to stare at the floor, eyes wide at how quickly he had gotten defeated… There was a pain in his back from where he had hit the metal chain links, and it hurt… but, Kai twisted his eyebrows thoughtfully, he realized that had never felt so _alive_ as he did right then, slumped on the floor after his first defeat in what must have been years… 

The yells from the crowds of people all melded into one loud indistinguishable noise, and Kai slowly got up from the ground, gripping the cage chain wall to help himself. 

A small smile was gracing Kai's lips. It was almost a smirk. 

Tyson's eyebrows rose and a huge grin burst onto his face. "Kai, is that a _smile_?!" 

Kai closed his eyes and turned his face slightly away, the smile widening. "Well, maybe it is." Kai replied, and then his eyes snapped open and he looked back at Tyson fiercely, the smile more determined this time. "But _you_ won't be smiling for long, Tyson." 

"Now _that's_ what I wanted to hear." Tyson shouted and he replaced his Dragoon blade on his shooter, holding it up ready to launch. 

Kai followed suit, replacing his Dranzer blade onto the shooter strapped to his thigh, and then he got in position gripping the ripcord tightly, ready to launch as well. 

The two had let it rip again, this time Kai being the victor in a few seconds flat. Tyson had been knocked to the ground by the force of Kai's Dranzer, but immediately jumped up again.

_"Woah! And they're up and ready to go again!_" 

"_Looks like The One-Armed Blader and The Rookie have still got some fight in them!_" 

"Annnnnd, 3!" DJ Jazzman called out over his microphone. 

Tyson and Kai tensed. 

"2!" 

Their grips on the ripcords tightened. 

"1! LET IT RIIIIIIIIP!!!!!!!" 

"GO!" Tyson yelled as he launched Dragoon into the beystadium, watching as it circled powerfully. 

"Arghh!!" Kai's beyblade spiraled from the shooter and landed wobbling dangerously in the dish. 

"_Oh! That's gotta be a bad rip from The One-Armed Blader_." 

"_Looks like you're right, Brad, but let's hope he's got a trick that can make it pull through! Kai's never been defeated in this tournament before!!"_

"GO DRAGOON!" Tyson yelled and his beyblade streaked towards Kai's intent of knocking the unstable blade out of the beystadium. But just as it was about to connect, Kai's clenched his fist and he shouted. 

"DRANZER!!" 

The Dranzer blade suddenly picked up immense speed and the wobbling stopped, the two blades crashed together and sparks flew. 

"_My gosh!! Did you see that, Brad?!_" 

"_I sure did, A.J., that was a fake! He faked the wobble!! Ingenious! How'd he do that!?_" 

Tyson grunted as his blade was forced back in the dish aggressively. Kai's blade was beating into Tyson's savagely again and again, dealing out damage to Dragoon with every hit. 

"DRAGOON!!!" Tyson yelled. 

A shimmering blue light shone as Dragoon rose from the blade ready to attack. The beast's body twisted sinuously into the air, coiling with its long claws extended. 

_'Amazing…_' The thought fluttered through Kai's mind. 

And then, a counter blaze of red light erupted from Kai's beyblade and his bit beast soared out for the first time at the Regionals. The burning red phoenix screeched and its massive wings spanned out, smoldering feathers twirling in its wake. 

"GO DRANZER!!!" Kai shouted fiercely, a wide devious smile on his face. This was fun. This was a _real_ beybattle. This was Beyblade. Had he been playing Beyblade before this? "You're gonna lose, Rookie!" 

"Oh yeah!?" Tyson called back. 

And suddenly, the beyblades connected once again and then… something strangely _different_ happened. 

Dragoon and Dranzer did not collide in attack – no, instead the two bit beasts intertwined with each other and began to spin faster… and faster… and _faster_…and _even faster_ still… 

"What's happening!?" Tyson exclaimed. 

"It's…" Kai stared. 

The flames of Dranzer combined with the winds of Dragoon had created a huge twister of fire that kept churning brighter the longer the two bit beasts spun. The heat and wind beat against Tyson and Kai making them rush back against the cage fence walls. The white and blue blades in the dish were a whir of movement, blurring so that you could not tell where one ended and the other began. 

Perhaps within this beybattle, it was a beginning of something, and an ending of something else. 

"Where'd they go?" Tyson looked around wildly, but couldn't spot the clashing beyblades. 

"Oh no…" Kai said in pure surprise. He was looking up, and the two blades were falling, descending back to the dish slightly off center… 

_"There they are!! The winner of this year's regional championship is riding on whose beyblade is going to make it out of this!!_" 

_"You said it Brad!! And there it goes!!_" 

Dragoon and Dranzer fell back into the side of the dish, but one spun into the beystadium, and one spun out of it, out of bounds. 

Dranzer clattered to a halt at Kai's feet. 

There was a hush in the stands and commentary box. 

The One-Armed Blader stooped down slowly and picked up his blade. His scarf slipped past his left shoulder meeting no resistance on the way. Kai held the blue beyblade in his hand and scrutinized it thoughtfully. 

_'He beat me._' 

Tyson blinked, his large blue eyes shining and a big smile appearing on his face. The rookie jumped up and pumped a fist in the air. "I WON! Yahah!!" Tyson's voice was full of happiness and delight. 

The crowd slowly started to cheer, the volume raising higher and higher for the new regional champion of Bay City. Kai stood up and continued to stare at his beyblade. 

_'I don't mind._' 

Finally, Kai lifted his head and turned his gaze on the younger teen. His face was neutral, but his eyes traveled over Tyson in a studying look. "I tried my hardest…" Kai spoke, first, this time. And somewhere in the back of his mind he noted that he had never needed to say something to his opponent before. 

"So did I." Tyson replied with a wide smile. His voice sounded very warm, and for Kai it overpowered the cheers and ruckus of the crowd. 

Suddenly, the stadium spotlights flashed on and were shone directly onto Tyson and Kai's forms. The two bladers looked up in surprise as the audience suddenly burst into fresh wave of cheering. 

"And here they are Beyblade fans!!" DJ Jazzman's voice boomed over a megaphone. "Our brand new Champion, TYSOOOON!!!! And his worthy opponent, KAI!!!!!!" 

A BBA official handed the DJ a note and suddenly the man's exuberant voice sounded out loud and clear. "IT IS OFFICIAL! Everyone put your hands together for TEAM JAPAN!!!!! The semi-finalists are you new team! Max, Ray, Kai, and Tyson are going to the World Championships!!!!!" 

On the huge video screen, four images were displayed along with scrolling stats of the four young teens. 

Screams and shouts were the only sound as fans began to chant, "TEAM JAPAN! TEAM JAPAN!" 

"And here's your head of the BBA himself, Mr. Dickinson to congratulate our new representatives!!" The short old man in question smiled and waved jovially as he made his way to the platform with his cane. Ray and Max also made their way to the stadium, basking in the warm cheers of the crowd. The manager came to stop in front of Kai, and smiled, his thick mustache almost hiding it. 

"I'm sure you don't need me now, since I lost." Kai's auburn eyes were hard, as he looked Mr. Dickinson straight in the face. His shoulders were squared and jaw set. 

Mr. Dickinson just smiled and pinched his mustache. "Actually, Kai…Three year champion of the Regional Championships… I want to make _you_ captain. These kids have a lot to learn from you." 

_Team Captain…? _The tall teen looked away in something akin to shock as he felt his resolve harden. This was the pity again, wasn't it? What kind of game were they playing in offering him this? Perhaps they meant to push him to retire afterwards… This was the first time he'd lost after all, and all those staring eyes were finally glad to get rid of him. 

He bowed his head. "I don't think-" 

"C'mon Kai," Tyson cut in with a brilliant smile. "Our battle was awesome don't you think? But you've been blading way longer than me. It'll be cool to be on the same team!! I can't believe it!!" 

Kai's eyes widened slightly. "Tyson…?" 

"Put 'er there, Captain Kai!" Tyson grinned and held his hand out for Kai to shake. 

Kai froze. 

It had not been the first time he had shaken someone's hand - no. But the ways and reasons for the handshake had always been the same. The adults had always looked at his hand and took it fearfully, as if it would suddenly break off and leave him even more badly off than he already was… and it had always been so frustrating to him. 

And then there were the kids. Younger or the same age as him - it didn't matter. Children are cruel and afraid of those that are different from them. They don't know how words and stares can hurt just as much as physical pain. They don't know what it was like to wait for an honest touch… 

And no one had ever offered to shake his hand with such a carefree look… 

Kai stared at Tyson's hand for a moment, before looking back up into the shorter teen's eyes. '_This rookie…_' Kai thought fleetingly, and then he reached out taking Tyson's warm hand, shaking it once, twice… he let it go quickly and uncomfortably, but Tyson didn't look offended. Actually, he looked pleased… 

'_And…_' Kai thought in wonder. '_I feel that way too…_' 

"Well then it's settled!!" Mr. Dickinson exclaimed happily smiling behind his unruly moustache at the pair. "Team Japan now consists of you two and Max and Ray! You're heading off to the World Championships, boys!" 

"Aw yeah!! I can't wait!!" Tyson jumped up and punched the air in excitement. The new Regional Champion then looked over at the one-armed blader. _'And just you wait Kai,'_ Tyson thought, smiling. '_We'll be friends._' 

**** 

End Episode 2 


End file.
